


Altered Memory

by Layzhe_06



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Badass Katara (Avatar), Badass Toph Beifong, Brainwashed!Toph, Brainwashed!Zuko, Brainwashing, Episode: s02e20 The Crossroads of Destiny, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Lots of fight scenes lmao, Minor Violence, Protective Iroh (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), The Dai Li (Avatar), Toph Beifong Swears, Toph Beifong-centric, What Have I Done, Whump, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, no beta we die like jet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layzhe_06/pseuds/Layzhe_06
Summary: In which Toph doesn't meet up with Aang and Sokka on her way back to Ba Sing Se and ends up getting captured by the Dai Li. Zuko is also captured after being caught trespassing in Lake Laogai. The Dai Li use their advantage and brainwash Toph and Zuko into siding with them.
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & The Gaang, Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 39
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A thing I wrote three months ago but forgot to post ✌😗.

When Toph finally made it in front of their old place in the upper ring, she frowned as she sensed no one inside. “Did the meeting really take that long?” Toph mumbled, her brows furrowed as she entered their house. “Katara? You in here?” She called, maybe she was on some wooden platform within the house. But alas, no one answered. Toph huffed, what was she going to do now? The Dai Li were still out there and serving Long Feng. For strong assassins, they surely were bad liars. Toph snorted at that, not noticing the Dai Li agents surrounding her as they hung from the ceiling. Toph crossed her arms and thought of something to do, but then she heard a soft whistling sound coming from behind her. She turned around only to feel three sharp needles embed themselves into her neck and then nothing at all. She couldn’t move or bend as the Dai Li jumped down around her.

“Dai Li.” Toph gritted out, “What do you dunderheads want?” She strained, unable to move a single limb. “We’re here under Princess Azula’s orders.” One said, and the earthbender’s eyes widened. “Let me go!” She barked out as she felt her cheek leave the cool surface of the marble floors. “Y-you assholes! Quit touching me! Hey!” She growled, trying to thrash around and out their grip but to no use, the shirshu darts had her down completely. She was  _ vulnerable.  _ Toph yelped as they threw her into a wooden box, if there was one part of her body that had feeling left it was her head, which hit the surface of that damned thing first. “Let me out!” She yelled, but it went ignored. The blind earthbender growled, willing herself to move. She focused on trying to move at least a finger or a toe. 

_ Move, Toph. MOVE! _ _   
_ _   
_ Unfortunately, her body couldn’t fight the poison. So she had no choice but to stay still as they took her away, probably to a second opening in Lake Laogai or another secret base. She cursed herself for being caught off-guard. She wanted to find Katara, desperate to get out of that damned box, especially when they passed over a particularly bumpier path. It assaulted her heightened hearing as the wheel crashed against gravel and pebbles. She was still weak when they arrived, she could move and feel, but she couldn’t bend properly yet and could barely stand straight enough to take a proper stance. “I’ll make you pay for this.” Toph gritted out, but she was ignored. “How are we going to brainwash her? She’s blind!” She heard one of them whisper, “Don’t worry, the others already made a chamber just for her.” He muttered, and Toph’s heart dropped. She had to get out  **now.** Despite her weakened state, she pushed herself out of their grip and flipped away, landing on the ground gracefully despite her body screaming in protest. 

“Don’t let her get away! Surround her!” One yelled, and soon thirteen soldiers surrounded her. Toph took a deep breath and went into her stance. Metal chains came flying and she bent them away, grunts of surprise could be heard as she redirected them over to the agents. They swiftly moved out of the way but not letting her out of the circle. Toph’s knees shook but she kept herself steady. She slammed one foot into the ground and eight of them flew out of the way as pillars shot up into the air. They landed with a thump and now only five were left. Toph huffed and lunged forward, a jet of dust flew towards her and she redirected it towards the agent. 

“Chain her!” The agent growled, but she used the metal to her advantage, using them like a whip the moment they fastened around her wrists. She held tight onto the line and pulled and slammed, sending the agents who tried to hold her down flying to the walls. She went into a lunge and moved her arm forward, bending the chain to wrap around the agent’s waist, throwing him to his companion. Earthen fists came flying towards her and she used the chains to crush them into dust, her body ached painfully so she ran. She slammed the chain into the ground and shot herself up into the air, but then she heard a rumble and hands were on her sides. Her face contorted into one of shock, disgust, and anger. But before she could bite out a horrified remark, she was thrown to the ground. Her back hit the ground, creating a ripple in the earth at the impact. Toph groaned weakly, quickly pushing herself up and moving out of the way sluggishly. 

“The shirshu toxins have weakened your body. You won’t last any longer.” One remarked from behind her, noticing her bent knees and sluggish form. Sweat beaded onto her forehead as they all surrounded her, only slightly bruised. Her vision turned hazy and she felt her throat turn dry as she struggled to catch her breath. Then one aimed a boulder towards her, her head shot up and she punched, the boulder breaking to bits. Her jaw clenched in agony as she forced herself to fight them. “Give up!” One agent yelled, and Toph growled, shooting herself up into the air, landing on the ground and creating a ripple of earth, multiple pillars shooting up.

One agent managed to jump over the wave and swiftly aimed a jab in the middle of her back, breaking her weak form. She gasped and fell to the ground with a heavy thump. They surrounded her as she tried to pick herself up on shaky arms. But unfortunately for Toph, her luck ran out and she passed out completely. The soldiers sighed softly with relief and two of their least injured agents picked Toph up, dragging her into the brainwashing chamber. 

When Toph woke up an hour later, her hands and feet were surrounded by wooden blocks held up by chains. She leaned forward weakly, groaning softly as her head spun. “You’re awake.” A deep voice said, and Toph froze. She  _ failed.  _ His soft footsteps echoed within the room with how quiet it was. Toph tugged at her binds, letting a pained noise out as the wood irritated her wrist. “Stay still.” He ordered, “Let me go, you asshole!” She retorted, earning a sharp slap to the face. She clenched her fists and thrashed around, her cheek tingling from the slap. “I said stay still!” The Dai Li yelled, and Toph spat in his face. “Get. Away. From. Me.” She said lowly, earning a sharp slap to her other cheek. “You  _ brat. _ ” The agent growled, probably wiping his face off. Toph thrashed around, trying to move in any way possible but she found her limbs still weak from the grueling battle that occurred. 

“Since you’re blind, we came up with a different solution.” He said, and Toph yelped as a cloth gag was wrapped around her mouth. “Don’t bother straining yourself. Nothing you do will get you out of this.” The agent said, and Toph shook in her binds as tears pricked her eyes uncontrollably. She tried to hold back the fear creeping up her spine. Then a loud clang echoed within the room, it was loud and painful to hear. Like the loud clang of some ceremonial gong. The fact that the space they were in was small made her head spin. She winced painfully as they kept banging it every time they mentioned a certain phrase. 

_ “Your loyalty now lies with the Dai Li.”  _

Five grueling hours later and the Dai Li was successful. The gong was of no use now, only the title was enough to make Toph shake and wince as if she was punched, like she was going to be hit yet again. They had conditioned her mind just enough that she was hostile towards Aang and the rest of their friends. The words they told her were all against Aang, that every bad thing that happened in her life was because of them, even the false ones they made up. Every painful thing she’d gone through was because of Aang and his friends. All of this they engraved into her mind with the bang of the gong. 

When they let Toph go, she passed out on the ground, physically and mentally exhausted. 

*******

The last thing Zuko remembered was a rock hitting the back of his head as he made his way down Lake Laogai. Now, his head hurt badly and he was tied down on a metal chair. He shifted around but his wrists, waist, and ankles were tied down. In the distance he could hear the faint sound of a gong ringing followed by muffled groaning, the groaning sounded like it came from a  _ child.  _ Zuko’s face contorted into one of uneasiness as his movements became more frantic. In front of him was a metal ring and an unlit lamp, but that didn’t matter, he didn’t want to be in the same situation as that kid.

_ Ba Sing Se was a mistake. _

Zuko’s heart dropped the moment the door slid open. He shot his head up and saw a man dressed in long black robes walking over to him. He panicked and shifted around even more, thrashing as much as the cuffs that held him down would allow. “Calm down. You’re safe here.” He said calmly, but Zuko didn’t dare believe him, in fact, it only made his movements more desperate. His gaze kept shifting from the binds to the agent that was slowly making his way inside the ring. “Let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong!” He said, but the Dai Li agent kept a stoic face. “You were caught trespassing here two days ago.” The agent said, and Zuko glared at him, holding back from using his bending. “Let me go, I promise I won’t tell anyone about this place.” He said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. You know too much.” That was all he said before turning around and lighting the lamp.

Zuko knew he was doomed the moment it began to move and his head was held down by rocks, “You can’t do this.” Zuko said, and in reply the agent bent an earthen gag around his mouth, muffling his voice as he began to talk.  _ “Your loyalty now lies with the Dai Li.” _ He said in a controlled and monotone voice. Zuko shifted around frantically, trying to block out his voice. But it proved to be of no use, he tried to close his eyes to avoid the blinding light as it passed his face but even that didn’t help. The Dai Li didn’t stop saying that phrase, engraving the words into Zuko’s mind, brainwashing him. Keeping him under their control. The sounds around him faded into nothing, and soon he succumbed to the events that were now taking place. He knew there was no getting out now, he was cornered. 

The words circled his mind as the bright flash of light passed his vision once more. The earthen binds slowly loosened around his head and mouth, but Zuko was too deep into their hold to pay attention, his eyes slowly lost the fire in them, his tense posture relaxed and soon it was as if there was a puppet on the chair. Zuko’s mind was theirs, the second piece of the Dai Li’s puzzle had been completed. They now had Prince Zuko in their grip, as well as the avatar’s earthbending teacher, Toph Beifong. The agent watched as Zuko’s eyes fluttered shut as he quietly passed out from the two-hour long brainwashing process that took place. 

When the agent was sure he was asleep, he called for his companions and put Zuko into a cell until they had finished the earthbender. 

*******

Aang’s grip on the reign tightened as a cold feeling ran down his spine. 

“So… In what kind of trouble is Katara in exactly?” Sokka asked, a hint of nervousness evident in his voice despite his attempts of it being nonchalant. “It wasn’t exactly clear, but I could  _ hear  _ her. She’s in trouble, I just know it.” Aang said, his heartbeat speeding up as the tiny outline of Ba Sing Se appeared. “Do you think Toph’s okay?” Aang asked, and Sokka pursed his lips. “She’s fine. She’s Toph.  _ Our  _ Toph.” Sokka said with a reassuring smile, and Aang gave a relieved smile, “Thanks. For easing my mind.” Aang said, and Sokka winked. “Course. You’re like, my little brother at this point.” Sokka said with a cheerful grin, bringing Aang in for a one-armed hug. 

Aang laughed and gratefully accepted the hug. “Besides, even  _ if  _ Toph was in trouble, I bet she’ll find a way to get out of it.” Sokka grinned, and Aang pulled at the reigns to speed up their flight just a little more. “You’re right.” He said, “Of course I am!” Sokka replied, prompting a chuckle from Aang and a roar from Appa. Now, Aang's mind was slightly less troubled. “Look, there’s the upper ring. Let’s go and save Katara!” Sokka cheered, and Aang leaned forward, and slowly guided Appa down for a safe and clean landing. Aang looked around and found the place not as filled with Dai Li as expected, much to his relief. He quickly made his way over to the palace to meet the king. 

“Avatar Aang! How lovely it is to see you again.” The king greeted, and Aang and Sokka bowed respectfully. “The Kyoshi warriors just arrived yesterday and Katara’s currently with the council of five as we speak.” The king said, which caused Aang to frown slightly. “Oh… Is that so?” He asked, hoping Sokka wasn’t mad. He was just  _ so sure.  _ “Yes! And besides, if there were any danger nearby, which I’m assuming is the reason why you ran in here just now, Bosco will sense it immediately.” Kuei said, and the bear groaned in what seemed like agreement. Aang’s shoulders sunk and he bit his lip in anxiety. “I’m sure Katara is fine.” Kuei said, noticing Aang’s nervous expression. 

Sokka laid a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed. “Yeah! She’s probably at Suki’s having a little girl’s day or something.” He said reassuringly, and Aang looked at Sokka apologetically, knowing what he just intruded in when he came back to Chameleon Bay. “O-okay then… We’ll just go back.” Aang stuttered, itching to leave the stuffy room. When they were out, Aang was hyperventilating. “I’m sorry, I just- I was  _ so  _ sure.” Aang said, and Sokka pulled him in for a comforting hug. “It’s alright buddy, let’s just go back to our place and rest. It  _ has  _ been an exhausting few weeks.” Sokka said, but the guilt still stayed there.

“C’mon. Let’s go to Katara.” He said, and they walked back home. But when they arrived, the place was empty, except for Momo flying around the room to greet them. However, there was no Katara. Aang’s heart dropped, “The place is empty.” He said, and Sokka turned to him, “Then she _ is  _ in trouble.” Sokka said, pulling Aang over to the exit only to be stopped by Iroh, whose fist was raised as he was about to knock on the door. Both boys yelped and stepped back, Iroh was surprised too but it wasn’t as obvious. “What are  _ you  _ doing here?” Sokka asked incredulously as Iroh slowly stepped inside. 

“I need your help.” He said, and both boys shared a knowing look. “Look, the Dai Li have my nephew and your friend, the waterbender girl.” Iroh said, and Sokka narrowed his eyes. “Why should we trust you?” He asked and Iroh didn’t bother trying to defend himself as Sokka aimed his jaw blade towards him. “I know we had a troubled start, but I would not be here if I was lying about anything. You have to believe me.” Iroh said, and the twinkle of desperation and hope in his eyes was all Aang needed to see to know. “Then we’ll help you. We can work together to save both Zuko and Katara.” Aang said, and Sokka paused for a moment.

“You lost me at Zuko.” He said, and Aang shook his head. “If saving Zuko is going to help us save Katara, then we have to do what we have to do. Besides, Zuko is still a person and you know what the Dai Li’s like. If they get their hands on Zuko, he could easily end up like... Like Jet.” Aang said, the weight of his name weighing on his shoulders. Sokka pursed his lips as his gaze darted from Iroh to Aang. A tense minute passed before Sokka gave his answer, “Fine. But we’re leaving the moment we get Katara and find Toph.” He said, and Aang nodded his head. “Deal. Our business here is done anyway.” Aang said, stepping forward and shaking Iroh’s hand as a form of truce. “I brought along someone who can help.” He said, letting Aang’s hand go.

The airbender stepped outside and quickly trapped the bound agent in earth while Sokka removed his gag. “Where-” “The Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se. It’s beneath the palace. That’s where they are, please don’t hurt me!” He rambled, and the two boys eyed each other then Iroh, who shrugged, then the agent. “Thanks.” Aang said, and they quickly boarded Appa. 

Meanwhile, the coup had just successfully ended. And now, Azula was on the throne as the new leader of the Dai Li. “Well, this throne isn’t as good as the one back home but it’s decent enough I suppose.” She remarked boredly, inspecting her well-manicured nails. “Princess… We are here to present to you the newest additions to our soldiers.” Two Dai Li agents said, bowing down on one knee. Azula then raised a brow, “What’s so special about them?” “Because they hold a significant value to the avatar.” The agent said, and Azula narrowed her eyes. “Bring them in.” She ordered, and in came two familiar people. A blind girl and her brother, Zuko. They were both thrashing around, trying to break out of their binds. Especially the blind girl. 

“They don’t look-” “ _ Your loyalty now lies with the Dai Li. _ ” Interrupted the agent, much to Azula’s anger. But that anger dissipated the moment she saw them become still and fall to their knees. The agent pulled down their gags and they spoke, “ _ My loyalty lies with the Dai Li.”  _ They said in unison, and Azula gave an amused look. “Wonderful. I’m sure the avatar is on his way now for that foolish waterbender. Quickly, you two, take these two down there but don’t let the waterbender see them yet. They’ll make an appearance with me. As my  _ personal  _ guards.” Azula said, but she knew well enough that they weren’t going to be guards but brainwashed allies. 

Ones that would face off against the Avatar with her.

*******

_ CRASH! _ _   
_ __   
Katara whirled around as she heard a loud crash. She’d been left all alone in that damned place by those stupid Dai Li agents after Ty Lee chi-blocked her. When her eyes landed on the familiar blue arrow she immediately wrapped Aang in a tight hug. “Aang! Thank the spirits you’re here.” Katara sighed with relief, and Aang returned the hug, squeezing just as tight. “I’m so happy you’re okay.” He said, and Katara held him close for a minute longer. “I knew you’d get me out of here eventually.” She said shakily, and they pulled away. “What happened?” He asked, looking around for any possible threat.

“The Kyoshi Warriors weren’t real, Azula’s in the city and she’s got control of the Dai Li. Azula and her friends stole the warriors’ costumes and used them to sneak into the city.” Katara said, causing Aang’s heart to drop. “We gotta get out of here and warn the Earth King now!” He said, and looked back at Iroh hesitantly. “Go, I will find him myself. Do your duty, young avatar.” He said, and they both nodded gratefully. “Sokka!” Katara cried, and pulled Sokka into a tight hug. “Hey, little sis.” “Sokka, what are you doing here?” Aang asked, and Sokka sent him a serious look. “The palace is swamped with agents. I came down here for help and to see if Kat was okay.” 

Aang was about to reply but then a slow clapping sound echoed through the place. Their gazes turned over to the source of the sound to see Azula and Zuko standing there, but there was something  _ off _ about Zuko. “What a touching reunion, don’t you agree, Zuzu?” Azula mocked, and he nodded his head. “Yeah. So  _ touching. _ ” He said, voice laced with disgust. Katara glared at him, “What do you two want?” “Oh, haven’t you heard? That pathetic king’s rotting in the dungeon after the Dai Li brought him and the council of five down.” Azula grinned wickedly, and they all paled. “No…” Sokka gasped, “Oh yeah. Ba Sing Se’s fallen.” Zuko piped in, and Iroh narrowed his eyes. 

“Zuko?” “ _ Uncle. _ ” He sneered, and a pained look crossed Iroh’s face. The other three looked on in shock, despite their differences, Zuko obviously cared for his uncle, so the tone he used was definitely a surprise. “Nephew, what… What are you  _ doing _ ?!” He asked in an almost horrified tone, “I thought-” “Oh please uncle, just because I went through a stupid  _ fever  _ doesn’t mean I’ve changed sides. I’m loyal to the Fire Nation, and the Fire Nation only. Unlike you.” He sneered, and Azula grinned. Like she knew something. “Okay, what in the world is going on here?” Sokka intervened, scratching his head. “Nothing, We’re simply here to finish things once and for all.” Azula said, walking forward, her hands behind her back. 

“Zuko, you handle these buffoons, I’ll take the avatar.” Azula said, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” She grinned evilly before turning back to Aang and moving forward. Zuko huffed and lunged for Katara, the waterbender yelped and jumped back near the water, bending up an ice wall to protect herself. Sokka tried to fight him back but much to his surprise a new person came flying down, deflecting all his attacks. When he managed to back up, his jaw dropped as he recognized who he was fighting. “T-Toph?!” He said, and everyone’s heads turned to look at them. Toph’s hair was up in its usual bun, but her clothes… her sleeves were torn off and she was wearing a darker tunic, her usual wrist bands were replaced with dirty hand wraps, ones that looked like she’d just been training in them. She had simple metal shoulder guards on top of her tunic and she looked… Different. Just like Zuko.

She let out a battle cry and lunged for Sokka, jumping up and landing a kick onto his midriff. He groaned as the kick winded him, his eyes widened as she rose into the air and aimed to punch him. He quickly shuffled out of the way, and her punch created a huge crater into the ground. That’s where Sokka realized she was aiming to  _ kill.  _ He gasped and blocked off her attacks as much as he could, but she was precise and swift in her movements, her momentum was always strong and steady so it was difficult to break her root. 

She was not only a master earthbender, but she was phenomenal at hand-to-hand combat and using her resources. Azula shrieked from somewhere far off and Toph left him alone after one last kick to his chest. She used him as a stepping stone, jumping from one pillar to another and creating an earth wave Aang barely missed. Everything fell into slow motion as Toph raised her head, silver eyes glinting with a hunger to kill. Then she bent the earth and used it to bring herself over to Aang, before changing her position and turning the earth wave into a jet of rock and dust, hitting Aang’s face, throwing him back to the wall. Sokka ran over and tried to tackle Zuko, throwing his boomerang while barely avoiding a jet of fire from Azula. He quickly grabbed his boomerang and aimed for Azula while using his jaw blade to block off Zuko’s attacks. 

Azula kicked the boomerang out of its course and went for Aang, who used his staff to try and swipe Toph out of balance but to his surprise, she jumped out of the way, flipping over in the air once before skillfully landing on his staff, running on it and kicking Aang across the face. Then as she was in the air, used her other foot and sent him flying to the ground with another kick to his chest. She landed on the ground in a side lunge, one hand helping her balance herself. “Toph! What’s gotten into you?!” Aang yelled, sending a water jet her way, but she easily dodged it and  _ metalbent  _ her shoulder pad to try and impale Aang, who luckily dodged it. 

Katara noticed and quickly sent a wall of ice to block Aang off from Toph, who was not hesitating one bit. Toph set her focus on Katara then, while Zuko fought Sokka and Azula went against Aang and Iroh. Sokka grunted as he barely avoided Zuko’s fire whips and lashes, jumping up on a pillar and pushing himself off to land a kick onto Zuko only to have him grab his ankle and be thrown to the ground. Sokka’s arms shook as he struggled to pick himself up. “ _ You’re weak. _ ” Zuko said, and Sokka boosted himself up, fueled by anger and landing a quick jab onto Zuko’s chest, jumping up and throwing him to the ground. “Toph! Stop it! We’re your friends!” Sokka heard Katara say as she tried her best to avoid Toph’s attacks.

The blind earthbender laughed maniacally before lunging forward, grabbing Katara’s outstretched hand and landing a kick onto her back, throwing her to the ground. Sokka yelped as a loud explosion echoed from the other side, and then he saw Aang flying against an old building. He watched as Toph’s metal guards clashed with Katara’s ice wall. Then she bent some water to surround her before turning them into daggers.

Toph cracked her knuckles and ran forward, dodging the attacks and barely flinching as some cut her arms and one cut her cheek. She grinned as she jumped up into the air and chains flew out of her pockets. “You’re pathetic, just like the avatar.” Toph said, using the chains like whips, one managing to wrap around Katara’s ankle when she jumped up to avoid it. Toph smirked and pulled, the chain followed and Katara flew into Sokka with a scream. Toph and Zuko walked over to them, towering over them, smirks on both of their faces. “Whaddya say, Sparky? Let’s finish this?” She asked, her hands on her hips. “Gladly.” He said, and they both took their stances. 

“NO!” A voice yelled and both turned their heads, Aang ran and sent a jet of water, Toph shot herself up with earth while Zuko intercepted it with firebending, turning it to steam. Toph flipped down and slammed her foot into the earth, sending Aang flying back. “You take care of him, I’ll handle these two.” Toph said in a sinister tone, and Katara quickly bent up an ice shield as a boulder came flying. “This is bad… What happened to Toph?!” Katara shrieked, “She’s been brainwashed.” Sokka gasped in realization. “What?” “ **They’ve been brainwashed!** ” Sokka yelled, and Aang froze. Azula caught him off guard and released a strong charged jet of fire. Aang quickly bent up an earthen wall to lessen the damage. 

“Toph, stop… This isn’t you!” Sokka growled, standing up and fighting her. But she blocked his attacks, disarming him of his jaw blade and club, bending down and avoiding his boomerang by a hair. “Oh this  _ is  _ me. I am a loyal soldier of the Earth Kingdom, you hear me?!” She roared, launching Sokka into the air with an earth pillar. He quickly jumped off of it and landed on shaky feet. “No, you’re not! You’re  _ The Blind Bandit _ !” He argued, and Toph froze mid-punch. “N-no… Stop-” She said, stepping back. “That’s who you are, Toph. You’re  _ our  _ friend. You are a part of  _ Team Avatar. _ ” Sokka pushed, and the earthbender furrowed her brows, taking another step back while Katara slowly stood up cautiously. “Come on, Toph… You’re better than this.” She said, and they slowly cornered her. 

But then they jumped as Toph screamed, holding her head in her hands. “No! Make it  _ stop! _ ” She screamed in agony, the ground shaking beneath her. “Toph?” They asked as she stilled, “ _ I’m not your friend. _ ” She breathed out, her head shot up and she stood. But this time, Sokka was faster, reaching over for his jaw blade beside her foot, he extended his leg and when Toph lost balance, he pressed the blunt end of the handle against her middle, stunning her. Toph grunted for a moment before falling into Katara’s arms, unconscious. “We’ve gotta go… Now!” Sokka said, and Aang landed one last hit onto Azula before following Sokka and Katara to the waterfall on quick feet, an unconscious Toph now in Sokka’s hold. 

But then the Dai Li intercepted their way. Multiple of them. 

Zuko and Azula stood in the front, poised to bend. “I gotta stun Zuko, he’s brainwashed too.” Sokka muttered, and Katara surrounded them with an ice ring thick enough to hold the agents back for at least half a minute. “When I say ‘go’, you make a water blast thingy. Okay?” Sokka told Katara, and she nodded, standing in position. The ice was one hit away from breaking when Sokka barked his signal, Katara raised her arms and pushed outwards, the water followed and the Dai Li was pushed back. Sokka slid down and tried to stun Zuko, only to be blocked and thrown back. Aang had distanced himself away from the crowd, surrounded in a small crystal tent.

Zuko and Sokka fought one-on-one while Katara fought off clusters of the Dai Li while also trying to protect their unconscious friend. Sokka feared the worst as the agents circled in on them, but in a miraculous second, a bright column of light came out from the tip of the crystal tent Aang was in. Everyone turned to look as Aang rose into the air, his arrows and eyes turning white. But in a blink of an eye, he was falling as lightning boomed and crackled from behind him, Katara’s eyes filled with tears as she saw Aang falling and Azula’s stance. She bent up a wave of water and rushed to catch Aang. She caught him just before he hit the ground. Sokka could never forget the heartbroken look on her face as she held a crumpled Aang in her arms. 

Sokka had stunned Zuko minutes back, and ran with Katara up to the waterfall, a passed out Toph and Zuko in his arms while Iroh ran to protect them. Katara boosted them up on the waterfall, leaving the chaotic scenery. “We have to get the king. Go get Appa, I’ll be okay.” Sokka ordered, running over to the dungeons, fighting off the only agents left, breaking Kuei out, and taking both him and Bosco to Appa, who was waiting outside the palace. Toph and Zuko were still passed out and Katara was healing Aang with the spirit water while Sokka stayed at the reigns. 

If there was one good thing that came out of that mess, it was that Aang was alive. It was only a matter of time before they ran into the Dai Li again, so they had to figure this out… Before it’s too late. 


	2. Choose Your Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Toph and Zuko's brainwashing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still think this is super fast paced but... I tried HAHAHAHA

Sokka kept watch on Toph and Zuko's unconscious bodies while Katara continued to care for Aang, healing him as time passed, waiting for him to wake up, trying not to lose hope. Everyday, Sokka's face would fall slightly as he saw that neither of them were awake yet. His skin crawled at the memory of Toph aiming to kill him, her brutal pace and that manic look on her face. It made Sokka shiver, it made him wonder what the Dai Li did to Jet, Toph, and Zuko. How they got them under their control and turned them into puppets. Sokka's grip on his boomerang tightened as his thoughts continued to race. A part of him idly wondered if bringing Zuko along was a good idea. While he did have the Fire Nation knowledge they needed, getting said information was another problem Sokka didn't know how to solve. 

But his thoughts were cut off with a groan from Toph. He quickly grabbed his boomerang and ran into the room. "Toph?" Sokka asked, running over to wrap her in a tight hug. But then a sharp pain hit his midriff. He stepped back and fell on the floor with a pained groan. He opened his eyes seconds later to see Toph standing over him. "Where are you taking us, criminal?" Toph asked, placing a foot on his chest and stepping down. Sokka wheezed, "Toph… Stop… Can't… Breathe." He strained, and Toph did. Only to grab his shirt with her small hands and slam his body into the metal wall, creating a loud bang! "Answer my question." She sneered, and Sokka gulped. "We're heading to the West!” He said, and Toph let him go. She paced around for a moment before walking over to Zuko, “Sparky, hey wake up!” She gritted out softly, shaking him out of his sleep. “Sparky!” Toph said, a little louder this time, and Zuko groaned. “What the hell…” He slurred, but then he let out a startled yelp at the sight of the new location. 

His eyes darted around the room before landing on Sokka. “You.” Zuko growled, steam puffing out of his nostrils, but before Zuko could burn Sokka to a crisp, Toph held him down. “Stop it, Zuko. They’re not worth it.” She said, gripping his top firmly. “Why not?! We were sent to fight them.” Zuko said, “Yeah, but we’re outnumbered.” Toph countered, “This boat is made of wood, I can just burn it to the ground.” Zuko said, and both Toph and Sokka yelled in unison. _**“No!”**_ They said, and Zuko paused, his flaming fist in the air, a brow raised towards Toph. “If you burn this boat, we won’t survive you idiot.” Toph snarled, and before Sokka could talk Toph snapped her neck to face him, “Shut it!” She said, and Sokka’s mouth clamped shut. “Where’s the avatar anyway?” Toph asked with narrow eyes, “He… He’s badly injured right now. He’s in the healing room with my sister.” Zuko and Toph paused, “Then why did you take us with you?” Zuko asked, and Sokka gulped. Toph raised a brow, “What’re you planning to do with us?” She asked, walking over him. Despite her short stature, Sokka felt her towering over him. 

“We… We were going to try and break the Dai Li’s hold on you.” Sokka said, and Toph scoffed. “You and that brainwashed bullshit again, I just said I wasn’t brainwashed!” “Oh really? Then how’d you end up in Ba Sing Se?” “I ran away from home.” Toph replied, and Sokka frowned, “Yeah but how did you get there?” “I went through Full Moon Bay, like any other refugee.” Toph said, and Sokka gaped before turning to Zuko, “What about you?” “I was there with my traitor of an uncle.” Zuko replied, but then he held onto Toph. “We’ve gotta get out of here, he’s going to try and get information from us.” “I know that, but this loser keeps acting like we actually know each other.” Toph said, and Sokka’s breath caught in his throat. 

But Katara interrupted the tense silence when she suddenly entered the room. “Sokka-” She cut herself off at the sight of both Zuko and Toph awake. Her eyes brightened with relief, “Thank goodness you’re okay!” She said, forgetting the battle that just occurred and ran over to squeeze Toph in a bone-crushing hug. The earthbender yelped and quickly bent up her chains, pushing Katara away from her with them. “ _Get off of me!_ ” She yelled angrily, her hands stretched out and the chains looming behind her. Zuko stood as well, fire daggers lit up in his hands. Katara gasped softly and quickly got into her stance, uncorking her water skin while Sokka held onto his boomerang, waiting to see who attacked first. Then the chains shot out at lightning speed, wrapping around Katara’s wrist and pulling her close. Toph then ducked just as Katara was about to tumble into her, and instead the waterbender landed into the pile of crates with a groan. Zuko bent down and threw Sokka out of balance, and together they went out to the main deck. 

But before they could reach the end of the staircase, a jet of water wrapped around Zuko’s wrist. Toph panicked and turned around, her movements frantic as the footsteps began to increase in volume. She turned her chains into a big blade and shattered the ice around Zuko’s wrist. She pulled him up and urged him to run. “Wait! Stop!” Katara called, and Toph growled with annoyance, cursing the fact that there was no earth. But she made do with what she had, tucking her chains back in her pockets like the Dai Li and swiftly running over to try and stun Katara. She barely avoided a boomerang, crushing the metal in her grip, throwing it back as she crouched down and balanced herself with her hands as she raised her foot to land a kick on Katara's wrist. The waterbender grunted, trying to avoid Toph’s swift attacks. “I don’t want to hurt you!” She tried to reason, but a voice in Toph’s head kept nagging her to kill the waterbender. She clenched her jaw and wiped any emotion off her face as she blocked off Katara’s water whips with her metal chains. But what she really needed was mud or boulders. 

Zuko shook his head and his vision cleared, he could see Toph trying to ward off Katara but was having difficulty with the lack of earth around her and the freshness of metalbending. He grunted and sent a jet of fire between them, causing Katara to yelp and extinguish the fire that caught on the boat’s edge. When Katara raised her arms for another attack, Zuko slid in front of Toph and quickly turned the water to steam, covering them for a moment, and before Katara could bend the steam clear, Zuko had boosted Toph up into the air and Toph narrowed her eyes, focusing on the change in the air and the way Katara gasped. She quickly twisted her position and landed a swift kick onto Katara’s chest. 

When Katara reeled back, Zuko quickly pulled Toph over to the rafts, burning off the ropes holding them and jumping with Toph into the water. Katara cradled her head as she stabilized herself on the ledge of the boat. Meanwhile, Zuko took a deep breath and quickly bent out jets of fire to boost the raft off. Toph grunted frustratedly as she bent her metal chains into liquid before turning it into a metal oar. She stood up and worked her arms to row the small raft over to where Zuko directed her to. Katara yelled for them to come back from the ship only to find it ultimately useless as their forms shrank further and further. The others ran up a moment later, Sokka holding his boomerang in his bloodied hand, Hakoda and Bato had their clubs, ready to fight. Katara turned back to them with a sullen yet terrified look on her face. 

“ ** _They escaped._** ” 

*******

It was dawn the next day when they arrived back to Chameleon Bay. They fell on the sand exhaustedly, Toph glad that she had at least some type of vision back. Zuko rolled onto his back, staring up into the sky as the sun rose. “Well that sucked.” Toph remarked from beside him, earning a snort from the firebender. “You’re telling me.” He said, and Toph let out an amused sigh. “D’you think the Dai Li’s gonna get mad at us or something?” She asked, and Zuko gave an unsure hum. “I’m not sure. But I’m sure they won’t be too bad.” He said, sitting up and stretching his limbs. Then he stood, patting off as much sand as he could off of him before offering Toph a hand. “C’mon, we gotta get back to them anyway.” He said, and Toph grunted, taking his hand and standing up. 

When they arrived at the palace, they knelt down on their knees in front of Azula. “Apologies, Azula. They stunned us mid-battle but we’re here now. Managed to escape from them.” Zuko said, and Azula smirked as the Dai Li’s hold on their minds stayed strong. “ _Rise_ , both of you. Your outstanding jobs back there proved to me that you two would be perfect as my guards on the Day of Black Sun.” Azula said, and Toph tensed, the name making her ears ring as a foggy person’s voice yelled at her for losing… _Appa_? What’s an Appa? She clenched her eyes and forced the voices to silence themselves. Zuko stood up a moment later to stand by Azula, and Toph followed. “Mai and Ty Lee, look at the new soldiers the Dai Li have given me.” Azula remarked, and suddenly a too chipper voice remarked about how cute Toph was while a deeper, bored voice greeted Zuko, who nodded towards her. Toph felt the painful twinge in her heartbeat as it seemed Zuko didn’t recognize her.

“Don’t worry Zuko, the avatar has been taken down. The Fire Nation will now reign over all and share its greatness to the world.” Azula said, but neither Toph nor Zuko said anything in reply. “Prepare the ships, it’s time we go back to the Fire Nation. I’m sure father will be glad to see you.” Azula said, and Zuko nodded his head, beckoning Toph over to their rooms ( ~~cells~~ ). “We leave at dusk. So get ready _Zuzu_.” Azula grinned wickedly, and Zuko clenched his jaw at the memory of his father, the sting of his scar, the tears that were shed, the nightmares that plague his sleep. While they were both packing their things, Zuko wondered silently if he would be welcomed back to the Fire Nation with open arms. Meanwhile, Toph was thinking about what happened in the catacomb, their voices were so distantly familiar, like they were embedded into the back of her mind. And the title… How would they have known that she was indeed the ‘ _Blind Bandit_ ’? 

And their heartbeats… They were _steady_ , like they were telling the truth.

But Toph didn’t know them. She couldn’t remember spending time with anyone other than the Dai Li, who trained her hand-to-hand combat skills ever since they saw her mastery over the earth in the arena. 

Toph grumbled in frustration as she tied her bag closed and slung it over her shoulder. “You ready to leave, Sparkles?” Toph asked, a hand on her hip. “ _Sparkles_?” Zuko repeated in indignation, “Oh lighten up Sparkles, I’m only teasing.” Toph said with a cheeky grin, gently elbowing the firebender, who glared at her in annoyance. “Yeah well, I prefer ‘Zuko’ better, because it’s my actual name.” He said, but there was no denying the twinge of a smile that threatened to form on his face. “Way to ruin the fun, _**Prince Pouty**_.” Toph said, crossing her arms as Zuko hauled his things over his shoulder. “You’ll never stop, will you?” He sighed, “Nope! You’ll never hear the end of this.” She said with a grin, gesturing to herself by patting the bottom of her chin. 

Their little moment was interrupted by a Dai Li agent telling them to hurry up, apparently the ship was ready to leave. "Well that was… Fast." Toph remarked, "Of course it is, it's Azula they're talking about. Lateness isn't a thing she does." "Damn." Was all Toph could say, imagining the things that's happened to the other guards that weren't able to satisfy Azula's need for competence. Yikes. "But don't worry about it too much, she isn't gonna hurt us. She can't." Zuko said, placing a hand on her shoulder. His heartbeat was steady and truthful, so she let a smile creep up onto her face. "I believe you."

*******

“What do you mean ‘ _they escaped_ ’?!” “They were able to get to the raft before I could catch them!” Katara cried, “They were in the water! Why didn’t you bend them back here?!” “First of all, it’s not that easy! I was winded so I was disoriented! And they would have burnt the ship down too!” Katara replied, flinching when Sokka groaned in frustration. “ _Shit_ … The Fire Nation has them.” He muttered, “What are we going to do?” Hakoda asked, and Sokka ran a hand down his face. “Okay… Uh… Katara, you’re fine. Just _please_ don’t give up on Aang. We need him if we want to win the battle on the eclipse.” Sokka said, and Katara nodded slowly, looking away from her brother’s gaze. But Sokka didn’t let her go without a hug, “We’ll get them back, we’ll save Toph, and maybe Zuko. Okay? We’re going to be fine… I promise.” He whispered, and Katara let out a quiet sob, reaching up and wrapping her arms around Sokka. “I just- why did it have to be her?” She cried, “I don’t know… But we can figure it out together, hm?” He said, and Katara wiped her tears.

“I… I guess.” She sniffled, and suddenly Sokka could see the same girl who just saw her mother dead on the floor. His bottom lip quivered, and he pulled Katara close. Hakoda watched on as his kids broke down at the loss of their friend, his heart twinged with guilt and he didn’t know whether or not to approach and hug them. Bato laid a hand on his shoulder and sent him an encouraging look. So Hakoda took a deep, hesitant breath and walked over to the crying teens. “Erm… We’re going to find them okay? Don’t worry.” Sokka met his gaze with a thankful look, but Katara merely glared at him as she pulled away from Sokka. “ _I have so much work to do._ ” Was all she said, voice grim and silently fuming as she walked off into Aang’s quarters. 

*******

The days passed by in flashes, all blending together as they strained and worked harder. The Fire Nation continued to push Toph harder while Zuko attended to his duties as the Prince of the Fire Nation while also training with Toph by his side. When they discovered that she was a Beifong, they immediately gave her better treatment and dressed her in custom made Fire Nation regalia. Gaoling was admittedly treated better and Toph was respected by the Dai Li even more, so much so that Azula appointed her as their trainer for earthbending and in return, she would be taught hand-to-hand combat. Toph proved to be a prodigious fighter, learning fifteen sets everyday whilst teaching fourteen basic forms everyday. But if there was one thing Toph sneakily tried to prevent, it was to have their skill match up to hers. 

The weeks turned into a month and soon, the awaited day had rolled around. Everyone got into their respective positions, Toph perched up on the ceiling of Azula’s bunker with Zuko parallel to her. Azula sat in the middle of the room, simply waiting. Toph looked up at Zuko, “So… Are you ready to kick some avatar ass?” She whispered, and Zuko grinned wickedly. “You bet.” He replied, and they both chuckled quietly. They spent their time waiting simply chatting with each other in hushed whispers. Zuko having her straighten up his swords a little at one point after he noticed the slight crookedness. Azula didn’t even bother saying a word to both of them, and they didn’t mind that too. In fact, they actually preferred it that way because truth be told, Azula wasn’t the best at basic social interaction. Always going on and on about power, honor ( _especially honor_ ), and fighting. 

The two fighters were in the middle of mocking Azula when a loud crash could be heard from the entrance of the bunker, followed by heavy panting. Their eyes widened and Zuko turned to look at the newcomers that’d entered. “It’s the three of them! The avatar’s alive!” Zuko whispered, and Toph’s eyes widened, so she leaned in to listen. 

“ _So… You are alive after all. I had a hunch that you survived. But that doesn’t matter now, I’ve known about the invasion for months.”_

_“Give up, Azula! You’ve got no fire power, so either you tell us where the Fire Lord is, or suffer the consequences.”_

_“You mean I’m not good enough for you? You’re hurting my feelings.”_

_“Surrender now!”_

_“I won’t surrender to anybody.”_

_“Then we’ll make you!”_

_“Good luck with that.”_

Azula let out a cackle, her hands on her hips and a smug smirk on her face. Both fighters took this as their que and dropped down from their places, landing onto the ground with grace. “But first, a little _reunion_.” Was all Azula said as she walked to the back of the room. Zuko and Toph nodded towards each other and Toph sped off first, she kept her position low and slid down at the last minute, sending a wave of earth towards Aang, whose eyes widened as he jumped up just in time to avoid the sharp jab of a rock hitting his chest. Zuko rushed over to Sokka and they brought their swords out, moving in, the metal clashing against each other. To Zuko’s surprise, Sokka was somewhat able to hold his own.

Even though his movements were quite sloppy, Sokka stayed on the defensive, waiting for his attacks, trying to disarm him. Toph turned to Katara and lunged, “You again… Let’s see what you’ve got!” She yelled, before running forward. Katara got into position and moved in to strike, sending multiple ice daggers to try and pin Toph down. But the earthbender avoided it with brute grace, using her hands to balance herself as she leaned up and kicked Katara’s chest, sending her flying to the wall. Aang cried out in outrage, moving to lunge for Toph. But she avoided it with a smirk, turning around at the last minute, grabbing onto his staff and using it to throw him to the wall. “ _Aang_!” Katara yelled, stumbling over to him as he cradled his head and groaned.

“I’ll take care of Toph, and you go after Azula. We don’t have much time left.” Katara whispered, breaking into a cold sweat as Toph approached them. “Did I hurt you?” She taunted, ignoring their glares. “Get away from us.” Katara spat, “Why? You’re scared I’ll kill you?” Toph asked, and the waterbender growled. “If you want a fight, I’ll give you a fight!” She yelled, and Toph chuckled, “Persistent aren’t ya? Well, I’ll give you something to work for alright.” Toph said lowly, getting into her stance. Katara went into the offensive and Toph tried her best to evade each attack. She kicked up a leg and an earth pillar shot up from the ground, throwing Katara off balance. As she reeled back, Toph punched her fist forward and her chain wrapped around Katara’s ankle. Grabbing onto the line, she bent the metal and slammed her into the ground. Katara gasped as she saw Toph in the air. So she bent the water out her water skin and shot Toph into the air. 

“Ah!! Why I oughta-” She grunted, pushing off the wall and landing on the ground, her foot dug into the ground and a ripple of earth pillars shot up from the floors. Katara yelped and sliced through the rocks with a water whip. She then froze the tips of the ice, going into her stance and she moved her arms so that the water whip would hit Toph and pin her to the wall in ice. Watching her stance through the ground, Toph crossed her arms over her chest and jumped, burying herself into the earth. The hit missed her by a hair and Katara ran immediately as the floor rumbled beneath her. She cartwheeled out of the way and kicked a leg up into the air, causing a jet of water to fly into Toph’s direction.

Catching her off guard, the jet of water had Toph reeling to the side. Katara took her chance and kept attacking, pushing Toph into the ground, not giving her any openings. She pumped her arms and legs, keeping a steady yet fluid stance. Now she had Toph cornered, and as she raised her arms for the finishing blow, Toph leaned down. “You’re dead!” She yelled, and punched into the air. Two pillars of earth shot out from the wall and Katara flew back, the strain of the pillar hitting her shoulder, making her groan in agony. “Ah! Crap!” Katara cursed, “I like you, you actually give me a challenge.” Toph grinned, as Katara cradled her injured shoulder. “Too bad though, looks like you’re done for.” Toph cackled, slamming her foot into the ground and kicking up a jet of dust. Katara yelped as the dust entered her eyes, falling to the ground. Now she was blinded and injured.

“Come on! You’re not done already, are you?” Toph asked, moving closer. But then a cry of outrage came from her left, “Don’t touch my sister!” Sokka yelled, and Toph gasped, stumbling out of the way just as he pierced his sword into the air. Then she pouted, “You’re better than that.” She smirked, “I don’t know what the hell they did to you, but I’m not going to fight you. I don’t want to.” Sokka said shakily, and Toph raised a brow. “What’s this? You getting all sappy on me?” Toph grinned wickedly. “You’re my best friend Toph! Don’t be like this…” Sokka yelled, and Toph rolled her eyes. “Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? Cause I’m not laughing.” Toph deadpanned. “You know I’m not lying!” He argued, “You have to remember… You’re our best friend… The avatar’s mentor… Don’t- don’t let them win.” Sokka said, “Ugh! Can you get any more annoying?” She groaned, and Sokka gulped.

“Please Toph… Don’t do this.” Katara begged, shakily standing up. “Oh will you two shut up already?” She growled, but before she could do anything, a pair of arms wrapped around her. “This isn’t you.” Katara whispered, and Toph hesitated. “You’re the _Blind Bandit_ , the avatar’s _sifu_ , our _friend_. The _greatest earthbender_ in the world.” Katara whispered, and suddenly, the sound of a gong echoed through her head, making her shiver and groan. “Toph… Please snap out of it.” Katara gasped and Toph groaned as a tear dripped onto her cheek. She shivered and groaned, then she was back in that cell. The ear-shattering boom of the gong, the mantra, the fight that occurred, the ambush, everything. 

Then a loud crash could be heard from behind them. 

Katara and Sokka looked up to see Aang running after Azula while Zuko ran towards them. “Toph! Let her go!” He’d yelled, sliding down to his knees beside her, taking her from Katara. “Ngh… _Zuko_ …” Toph groaned, and the firebender checked her for injuries. “Hey! Are you hurt? What’d they do to you?!” “They… Actually aren’t the bad guys… The Dai Li… They really did brainwash me… And they probably brainwashed you too.” Toph croaked weakly, “But- I don’t understand.” He said, “Zuko, please… We have to fight them.” Toph said. "I don't-" "This is your path to choose, Zuko. From the time I've known you, you've proved to be a good person born on the wrong side of the war. You have a good heart, Sparky. So please… Don't make the wrong choice. Not now." Toph said, gripping his wrist. Sokka and Katara looked on anxiously.

"I…" Zuko trailed off, but then Sokka groaned. "We don't have time for this! Azula's getting away! We have to help Aang!" He said, and Katara bit her lip, looking at the pair anxiously. "I'll be fine. You two go." She said, "Sparky, please… This isn't you. This isn't the way to restore your honor." Toph said, gripping his wrist tightly. "Fight the Fire Nation. I know it's hard but… But this is the only way we can win the war the right way." Toph said firmly, taking deep breaths, regaining her strength slowly but surely. "Zuko please, _I_ need you. Your _nation_ needs you." Toph pried, feeling herself getting closer to that one spot. " _Iroh_ needs you. He _loves and cares_ for you and you know it." She yelled, and Zuko's hands began to heat up in anger, but she didn't care. "Zuko, you _have_ to choose your side. Whose side are you really on?" Toph asked, and he gulped, squeezing his eyes shut and pulling away from her. 

"When you make up your mind… You know where to find me." Toph said, before running away to follow her friends. Leaving Zuko to the thoughts that now plagued his mind like a growing darkness. Eating him alive, and he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, hear, feel… He felt like he was falling… _Drowning_ into the depths of the darkness. His fingers twitched and he struggled to keep his head afloat. ' _Choose…_ ' Was what his mind kept telling him, it wouldn't stop, it was persistent. The time drew thin to a mere half minute when he'd made up his mind. He swallowed his fear, and stood slowly, the exhaustion creeping away and turning into adrenaline, anger, and passion. His chi swirled within him, manifesting into its full potential. Each step he took caused the heavy feeling to fade further and further into nothing. The crawling sensation disappeared gradually until he'd reached the scene so familiar to him. Azula pinned down by five of them, cornered and outnumbered. Both sides looked at him expectantly and Zuko took a deep breath and aimed towards Azula, ignoring the flinch that threatened to show at her darkened gaze. 

"You really were born a _traitor_!" Azula yelled, and they prepared for any coming attacks. Rooted to the ground, they prepared themselves as the bright blue contrasted with the bright red magma. Zuko slid in the way and with Katara's help, blocked off Azula's attack. While this happened, Azula had managed to free herself from the earthen cuffs surrounding her wrists. "You are all pathetic. _**Pathetic**_!" She roared, before shooting a blazing hot jet of fire towards their way, Toph stomped her foot into the ground and blocked off the fire just in time. "None of you are getting out of this alive." Azula growled before screaming for the Dai Li. "Dai Li! _**Destroy this stupid cave!**_ " She ordered, and their eyes collectively widened. The Dai Li did not question her authority and raised their arms. "Run… **RUN!** " Toph yelled, grabbing Zuko's arm and following the other three. They all twisted and turned through the winding paths, Aang and Toph working in tandem to keep the rocks out of the way. The cave crumbled and the magma splashed. The burning heat and the rough ground proved to be a struggle to pass through, but the adrenaline mixed with fear guided them through.

"Archers! Attack!" Azula yelled from the higher ground, and they all took cover. But Zuko wasn't lucky enough as an arrow grazed his side, tearing through his clothes and leaving a nasty cut on the skin. He yelped in pain, falling to the ground as the sharp sting rippled throughout his body. "Zuko!" Katara gasped in horror, quickly catching him before he fell. Toph turned and lost focus for a moment, nearly losing control of the earthen dome she held up. " _Shit._ " Zuko cursed, groaning as he held his wound, warm blood dripping down his fingers. Sokka quickly knelt down beside him in shock, "Oh no… Katara can't you-" "I'm trying! _Hold on!_ " She said frantically, bending water around Zuko's wound and focusing her energy on the wound, feeling a fraction of it in her body. She furrowed her brows in discomfort as she used her healing abilities to close the wound, focusing on the torn tissues and skin. 

A loud rumble could be heard from outside the dome, and Toph groaned, the effect on the earth rippling onto her. She rolled her shoulders and readjusted her stance, raising her arms and holding up the dome in a steadier stance, using her strength to keep every speck of dust compact, stopping it from breaking as the soldiers tried to break through it. The heat of their fire began to enter the dome, and sweat beaded their foreheads as Aang continued to dig a tunnel into the mountain, hoping to find some escape. Sokka's eyes darted from Zuko to Toph to Katara, who were all in vulnerable positions. "Aang! Go find Appa! You make that tunnel for yourself and fetch us here!" He barked, and the airbender looked at him in horror and uncertainty. "I can't leave you here!" "You have to! We've got no choice!" He roared, and Aang sent him a hesitant look before rushing in to hug him. "Please don't die." He said, and Sokka gave him a tight squeeze. "Don't worry, bud, we'll be okay." He replied, "Now go!" He ordered, and Aang dug away with regret in his gut. 

The next few minutes that'd passed felt like hours as Sokka tried his best to help Toph while Katara kept trying to heal Zuko as much as she could under the pressure. "C'mon Toph, you can do this!" "Meathead I-" The four of them jumped as a stronger jet of fire tried to break through. It was clear that it was Azula's doing as the gaps in the rocks burned blue. "Toph, you've gotta hold it together even more now. Azula's out there but Aang's almost here. Just a few more seconds." " _I don't think I can…_ " Toph whimpered, feeling her bones begin to break as the vibrations rippled heavily onto her small frame. "We're all counting on you. You can do this!" He cheered on, "S-Sokka…" She sobbed softly, fear and pain written on her face. It was so blatantly obvious that he felt his heart ache. But just then Appa's bellow rang out from outside, followed by loud screams as a strong gust of wind came after. When Appa had landed, Toph finally fell, unable to hold it up any longer. Exhaustion hit her like a lightning bolt and she fainted. Aang yelped and quickly caught her. 

He quickly hoisted her up onto his back and flew up on Appa's head, letting her rest on his shoulder. Sokka moved back to Zuko, wrapping his arm around his shoulder and guiding him over to Appa with Katara's assistance. With a quick push of the water, the three of them were on the saddle and ready to fly. "There! With the troops! Go! Go! Go!" Sokka barked, pointing down to the struggling soldiers. Aang's face paled as he lowered Appa onto the ground. "There's no way we're going to win. We're outnumbered… " Sokka mumbled. Katara sent him a fearful look while Aang looked back at him with sorrow. "All those people…" He mumbled, watching as the men tried their best to fight off the firebenders. "I'm sorry Aang… But there's nothing we can do now." He said, as Appa lowered onto the ground. 

"We've lost. There's no escape now… They destroyed the subs and that's our only way out of here." Sokka told his father, and all the men surrounding him bowed their heads. "We haven't lost. Not yet." Hakoda said, "But the subs-" "Are gone, yes. But if you kids get on Appa and fly out of here now, there's no way the Fire Nation will be able to catch up. At least, not quick enough for them to catch you before you hide away." "But the rest of you-" "-will surrender. All the people who have joined us here today know what's coming now. You kids are our last hope for a brighter future, so please… Get on Appa and go." Hakoda told him, and as much as Sokka hated the idea, he knew his father was right. 

So he pushed his own hesitation aside and hugged his father tight. "I'll miss you dad." "It's not forever, Sokka. I know you'll find a way to bring the Fire Nation down." He whispered, kissing his son's head and ruffling his hair, ignoring the tears that brimmed his eyes. "But until then, it's time we surrender. A true warrior knows when they are defeated, and they surrender with honor and pride." Hakoda said, and they all shared one last hug before pulling away reluctantly and climbing onto Appa. They took their place beside a passed out Zuko, watching Toph as she had her arms wrapped around a shocked Aang as she apologized frantically. The two kids hugged each other tightly, the events that had jeopardized their friendship finally weighing down on them. The siblings watched with sorrow as The Duke, Teo, and Haru all pulled away from their parents, hugging them goodbye and shedding a few tears before climbing up on Appa, Aang helping Teo up by raising a platform of earth. 

Aang pulled away from Toph reluctantly, thanking the soldiers who sacrificed their freedom to try and end the war. Promising them a better future and freedom. An era of balance amongst all four nations, and the end to a century of bloodshed, chaos, and genocide. As the soldiers approached, Aang sat back down on Appa's head, grabbing the reins and sending the soldiers one last thanks before facing forward. 

" _Appa, yip yip!_ " 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! This little twoshot is officially over, as I am currently working on two other books atm so look out for that ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). I hope y'all enjoyed and feel free to make your own continuation/sequel to this crazy shebang.
> 
> Comments and kudos are highly appreciated!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bad at endings lmao ;-;
> 
> (Comment below if you want a part 2 or smth 😏😏)


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